Dr Heather Gifford was approached by Kiri Parata and her iwi, Te Atiawa ki Waikanae to assist in the development of an HRC application to the Ngā Kanohi Kitea fund. The application was successful and Dr Gifford supported Ms Parata as she led this project for her whānau. The study aimed to explore the impact of active participation in marae and iwi activities on the health, wellbeing and sense of connectedness of iwi members.
There have been a number of distinct research outcomes from the research. First, the results from the research are directly informing the longer-term oranga strategy for the iwi. Researchers and iwi leaders are using the images and voices of the participants to clearly communicate positive messages to iwi members about maintaining their hauora. Secondly, as a consequence of the opportunity to participate in the research, members of the iwi now have increased confidence about undertaking future research. Third, the research provided two opportunities to directly mentor emerging researchers. Ms Parata was able to undertake her first research project as a principal investigator (with close support by Dr Heather Gifford) and in turn she mentored a research assistant who gained skills in a number of research areas. Finally iwi members have participated fully in the research and, through very skilled dissemination activities by the lead researcher, have experienced positive messages about themselves.
